Is There an Upper Limit to Insulin?

Some people wonder if there’s an upper limit to how much insulin they can take for diabetes. The answer is no, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Most people with diabetes need between 1/2 and 1 unit of insulin per kilogram of body weight per day to control their diabetes. That means 35-70 units per day for an average 150-pound person. Needing any more than this is usually a sign of insulin resistance.

Some very insulin-resistant people can require hundreds of units of insulin per day to control their blood sugars. A principal side effect of using high doses of insulin is a 5%-15% weight gain.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that high blood glucose is more dangerous than an increase in medication, so talk to your doctor and do whatever it takes to get your blood glucose down.

Compiled from 101 Tips for Simplifying Diabetes by the University of New Mexico Diabetes Care Team. Copyright by the American Diabetes Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.